Self-guided Visits
Photograph by Christina Schek
Visit Orleans House Gallery with your class and explore our exhibitions and site in your own time with our new Self-Guided Visits designed by artist Abigail Hunt.
There are three trails available:
Looking Differently: This tour is designed for Key Stage 1.
Change and Contrast: This tour is designed for Key Stages 2 and 3.
Place, Space and Materiality: This tour is designed for Key Stages 2 and 3.
Looking Differently
This tour includes practical and discussion-based activities to encourage exploring Orleans House Gallery both inside and outside. Students will engage with all their senses to place themselves within the different spaces, looking differently and thinking about how artworks make them feel or think.
This tour is designed for Key Stage 1. Activities may need to be adapted slightly to suit the specific needs of your group.
Learning Objectives and Key Concepts
In this tour, students will:
- Develop ideas for their own artworks, being inspired by the things they see and recording their observations to use later
- Build confidence in looking at and talking about artworks and sharing their ideas with others, whilst listening to the opinions of others
- Make observational drawings using basic materials
- Use their experiences to develop thinking and ideas for their own art making
Curriculum Links
In this tour students will make direct links to the Art and Design National Curriculum through:
- Exploring their ideas whilst recording their observations and experiences
- Evaluating and analysing the creative works of other artists using the language of art and make links to their own artwork
- Experimenting with drawing techniques
Change and Contrast
This tour looks closely at Orleans House Gallery, inside and outside, and considers its histories, its future, and its present – introducing how the students themselves are connected to the gallery through their visit. It encourages students to think about the relationship of the gallery building to its grounds and the natural environment around it. Ideas for practical and discussion-based activities are incorporated throughout to expand students own ideas and thinking.
This tour is suitable for Key Stages 2 or 3. Activities may need to be adapted slightly to suit the specific needs of your group.
Learning Objectives and Key Concepts
In this tour, students will:
- Develop ideas for their own artworks, being inspired by the things they see and recording their observations to use later
- Reflect on the past and make historical links, making them relevant to themselves today and using them to expand their own ideas
- Build confidence in looking at and talking about artworks and sharing their ideas with others, whilst listening to the opinions of others
- Make observational drawings using basic materials
- Use their experiences to develop thinking and ideas for their own art making
Curriculum Links
In this tour students will make direct links to the Art and Design National Curriculum through:
- Exploring their ideas whilst recording their observations and experiences
- Evaluating and analysing the creative works of other artists using the language of art and make links to their own artwork
- Experimenting with drawing techniques
The tour also makes links to curriculum skills in History, Geography, Literacy and RSE
Place, Space and Materiality
Looking at the different spaces within Orleans House Gallery this tour encourages students to think about placing themselves as unique individuals within this fascinating location. ‘Materiality’ in terms of art is a consideration of how looking at artworks is a personal experience dependent on what an individual brings to it. As well as considering an artworks history, how and what it is made from, how it came to be here and the artist’s story in creating the work, materiality also includes thinking about how a viewer constructs and interprets artworks in relation to their own personal experiences. Everyone experiences things differently, and all ideas about artworks are valid and interesting. Ideas for practical and discussion-based activities will encourage your students to take notice of the details within the architecture and the outside spaces as well as exploring the exhibitions, engaging with all their senses to place themselves within the spaces of Orleans House Gallery.
This tour is suitable for Key Stages 2 and 3. Activities can be adapted to suit your groups specific needs.
Learning Objectives and Key Concepts
In this tour, students will:
- Develop ideas for their own artworks by taking time to look and think differently, exploring the details around them and recording their observations
- Build confidence in looking at and talking about artworks and sharing their ideas with others
- Listen to others and build skills in understanding and considering options and thoughts different to their own
- Experiment with mark making and observational drawing using basic materials
- Reflect on their own experiences and use them to develop thinking and ideas for their own future art making
Curriculum Links
Students will make direct links to the Art and Design National Curriculum through:
- Exploring their ideas whilst recording their observations and experiences
- Evaluating and analysing the creative works of other artists using the language of art and make links to their own artwork
- Experimenting with drawing techniques
The tour also makes links to curriculum skills in Literacy and RSE.
Resources
The activities only need simple drawing materials – paper (loose or a sketchbook) and pencils and something to lean on. Orleans House Gallery can provide paper and clipboards. Wet materials (marker pens/paint/charcoal) are not allowed in the galleries. Photography is allowed throughout (with the occasional exception of some temporary exhibitions, please check with a member of staff if you are unsure).
Location
Each activity suggests a location in or around Orleans House Gallery, however all activities are adaptable to take place anywhere either in the galleries or outside.
Activities and Timing
The tour will take approximately 1/1.5hours. Activities can be done in any order and can be shortened or expanded to suit your group.
Costs and booking
The self-guided trails are free to use, though booking is essential and can be made here: Sign up!
You will receive a digital copy of the trail in advance of the session and a paper one on the day. A member of staff will meet you when you arrive to get you started.
Abigail Hunt is a visual artist and a freelance arts educator, who has been facilitating creative projects and creating resources for families in galleries, museums and schools for over twenty years. She has extensive experience working with early years groups, primary and secondary pupils and with teachers to develop CPD and learning resources.
Abigail has worked with many different galleries and organisations including Orleans House Gallery, Whitechapel, Studio Voltaire, Southwark Park Gallery, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Tate Modern and Britain and A New Direction.
Find out more about Abigail’s work here:
Illustrator Emma Thrussell has brought Abigail’s activity to life. Find out more about Emma and the design process here.